The Crossroads of the World
by Moody Shadow
Summary: Aveline's story is a troubling one. Her life full of mystery and tragedy, all surrounding her. The trials she faces will test her being, her strength, and her heritage. Sometimes, an end is a new beginning. How will Aveline survive in this cruel world she inhabits? -OC's- R
1. Dust in the Wind

Dust in the Wind

A merciless storm brew around a hunched figure climbing a steep and treacherous path along the mountain side. The hulking figure, a panther, carried another, slight one in his arms, its hushed sobbing ringing in his ears. The very sound of it striking a pang of fear into his heart and soul.

Then, he spoke in a strange tongue to his passenger, "W-we're almost there, my dearest."

A faint light broke out from within the confines of his grasp as a soft, ringing voice laced with pain, and in her native language, the same odd sounds as before, "P-please hurry, my love."

With a small nod, he hurried his pace among the snowy lane. A coarse smile reached his lips as he reached out and placed a paw on his wife's forehead. The female panther's quiet lamentation ceased as a pure bliss spread across her beautiful features. Her husband closed his eye momentarily at the shudder that passed down his spine and flowed out the tip of his tail.

The panthers now stood before the mouth of an immense cave that seemed to emanate a faint glow, of which there seemed no source. The two smiled in unison at the sight and before entering, performed a somber melody; their respective voices ringing deep within the confines of the cave.

_"Eis lam du donidisu. Lehek ach minstyu yelideh a, owingif_ _un potricbi!"_

The male cringed and a soft moan escaped the female as a harsh whisper vibrated within their minds, _"Welcome home."_

With that, the two smiled somberly at each other as the husband carried his beloved into the depths of the dark, their eyes lighting the way as they advanced deeper and further into the bowels.

Finally, came a glimpse of what made their month long journey complete: a bed of hay, an immense urn adorned with strange symbols, and the presence of all before them.

_Welcome home._

A tear fell from the slight female panther as the immense power of an unwarranted memory that was not her own washed over her. The husband watched in earnest as the urn glowed brighter and brighter still, until he had to shield his eyes from being blinded. His wife stared unfazed, yet finally the light vanished and a whisper of breath seemingly escaped the urn.

With a monumental sigh, the female, Kvaedhi, replaced herself from her husband's grasp and stumbled over to the makeshift bedding. Her face cringed in pain as she set herself down, her paw on her slightly extended belly, and with a groan passed between her fangs.

The husband, Nangoroth sat down beside her, eager for a rest, and set his sight on his wife's beautiful, teary eyed stare; her bright yellow orbs seemingly digging deep into his very soul. His own, dull green eyes eagerly soaking up her stare. She smiled warmly up at him and placed a paw on his cheek, caressing his rough featured face.

Speaking now in his native language, she whispered softly "Everything will be fine, my _Indrianu._"

A lone tear slipped down Nangoroth's long face as she suddenly cried out in pain and wrenched her paw away from him to grasp her belly in agony. Nangoroth refused to turn his gaze from his love, even as the painful and gruesome proceedings of childbirth took place before him.

* * *

For hours, the long process of birthing elapsed, and it took its toll on Kvaedhi. As before she was full of assurance and strong will, now she laid wasted and spent upon the cold, wet hay. Nangoroth now stood, still as a statue, overseeing that his child be born safely and surely into this unforgiving world of his.

Finally, the mother gave one last monumental effort, followed with an ear piercing scream, and then nothing. Nangoroth turned away and closed his eyes in sorrow as his broken and withering wife placed the newborn child in her arms and cradled it lovingly as tears flowed endlessly from beneath her lids.

_"Nam gedway drottningu, ach neiat slytha. Waise neiat vrangr! Atra du evarinya ono varda un naina, Islingr. Mae stydja unin... m-mor'ranr..."_

The incantation resonated in the cold, desolate cave deep within the Wu-Dan Mountains, where the newly formed and more recently broken family laid. The mother had just given her final breaths to save her daughter.

"And may she... I-I'll miss you, Kvaedhi." Nangoroth whispered softly as tears fell down his scarred face. He shuffled weakly over to his beautiful wife, who seemed as if she were merely sleeping. Within the silence, a cry broke out among the folds of the mother's arm. A small, newborn black panther stretched its limbs out and weakly fell upon its mother's chest. The father quickly approached and scooped up the crying child in his arms and whispered to it softly as tears fell upon his scars.

_"Se ono waise ilia, un gulia waise medh ono, Aveline."_

Aveline looked up at her father with a comforting disposition, and his sorrow slowly melted away into a sense of hope. He wrapped her carefully in a blanket from his pack and softly placed her on an even patch of the rough, cold ground of the cavern they occupied.

He smiled weakly to her and shushed her as he turned away and shook with a monumental sigh. His cheeks trembled as he stumbled mournfully to the peacefully set body of his deceased wife.

With her last breaths, she had given Aveline her life, and made sure she had a chance at a peaceful existence.

The panther gazed down at her with such reverence, and yet such despair; to him, she was a goddess. _His..._

Now that she was gone, he would surely be lost in the world, and he knew it. He was nothing without the poor soul that rested before him, devoid of any life.

Steeling himself, he made quick work of a grave; he gathered stones from the surrounding areas and placed them upon her body as softly as he could. Soon, there wasn't the slightest sign of her except her long, slick tail flowing between the rocks. Nangoroth looked away in agony as the urn glowed softly and emitted a low hum, vibrating the rocks until they shattered to dust, taking the body with it.

The panther stood there stock still, tears flowing endlessly, until he felt a soft tug at his leg. His newborn child glanced up at her father's teary and worn face in wonder. He smiled shakily and scooped her off the ground into his arms.

"Let's go find us a home, my little angel..."


	2. Through the Never

Through the Never

Nangoroth stumbled from the cave onto the steep cliffs of the mountain without so much as a backwards glance to all he was leaving behind. He had a new life to start. His daughter was the most important thing to him now.

He sighed and navigated his way down the treacherous slopes for hours on end, with his precious newborn tucked in one arm.

Aveline didn't once cry, which Nangoroth was relieved with. She merely stared up at her father's broad face in wonder and cooed softly with a warm smile. Her beautiful blue-grey eyes reminded him of Kvaedhi...

Kvaedhi was quite a wonder. She had appeared to Nangoroth as if in a dream...

Nangoroth shook his head from the thought and trudged forward to new beginnings.

When he finally reached the bottom of the massive mountain and into a vast forest, he realized he had no idea where to go. "Where... what do I do?"

He glanced down at the child he was holding, and she glanced back in confusion. Nangoroth smiled lovingly as he cradled her and whispered "As long as I have you, it doesn't matter..."

He wrapped the blanket tighter around Aveline, and with that he headed off into the dense snow towards an uncertain future.

* * *

Nangoroth walked for days on end, looking for any place that he and his newborn daughter may call a home for a life to come. He wanted to escape his past, and forget all about Kvaedhi.

He pulled his daughter close and stumbled through the snow and sleet, yet even a tough panther like himself couldn't stand against the ferocity of nature. Everyone has a point where they could be pushed no further; where they break, crumble and fall. Nangoroth had reached his, if only because of the loss of the love of his life. He knew he had to continue, for his precious little girl...

Nangoroth stumbled upright from his crouch within the deep snow, and kept trodding forward, now shivering uncontrollably. His willpower was outstanding, as was his physical prowess. There was not a single being in the land that he would come across that would match or beat his own. However, both were deteriorating at a dangerous speed.

After a week of Nangoroth stumbling around blindly in the snow, and his newborn daughter on the brink of death, things were getting desperate. He felt his frigid little Aveline shaking in his grasp, her breaths breaking and heaving. Her weakness gave him strength and without an end in sight, Nangoroth pooled all of his strength into surging forward into the blinding blizzard that consumed his vision.

Finally, within a few hours, Nangoroth saw a dim light in the distance, through the thick flakes of snow shielding his view. He thought sadly, that it was merely a mirage. But he trumped towards it, one weak step at a time.

Another hour passed, and the light was still nothing but a shimmering, glimpse of hope. Another hour, nothing. Another, and still nothing.

Nangoroth started to cry helplessly. He failed. There was nothing else he could do... He stumbled blindly forward to the light as the tears mingled with the snow, further clouding his vision, and making the light grow faster and faster.

He choked on his breath as he realized it wasn't his vision that made the light grow; an immense town laid before him, bustling with people minding their own business, many quickly finding their ways home to avoid the harsh blizzard.

He shook in relief and with hazy eyes, looked down at Aveline sleeping snugly in her blanket cradled in his arms, her breathing irregular and painful. He smiled painfully, relieved that he may be able to save the only thing that mattered in the world to him.

Nangoroth laid in the snow helplessly as he felt the blood in his veins flow loose of the adrenaline that had been powering his immense strength. His vision began to fade as the blizzard ceased to rage around him. He strained his neck to glance downward at his little bundle of joy in his arms, who was sleeping soundly with a content smile on her tiny lips, yet her breath coming in short gasps.

With what he thought was his last take of air, Nangoroth slumped over in the deep snow as if by an apparition, a flame took to approaching him slowly, followed by the dark form. Just as he closed his eyes, the shady form took shape; in Nangoroth's weakened and delusional state, Kvaedhi seemingly sloshed her way towards him with a curious frown.


	3. Angel of Death

Angel of Death

A young female black panther slowly approached the crumpled mass of fur on the ground and warily crouched in the snow curiously. Once discerning that it was, in fact, a living being, she called nervously into the yonder, "Mother! Come quickly!"

Through the settling snow came an aging, graying female panther cuddling a small little boy in her arms. She scuttled along through the deep snow around her ankles as fast as she could to where Nangoroth laid, with Aveline safely hidden within the warm confines of his tight grasp.

"Oh no, not another one..."

The elder feline set her son down on the ground beside his significantly older sister, and kneeled beside her daughter to inspect the body. She rubbed a rough paw along the grizzled fur that lined Nangoroth's tired and worn body.

"I-is he alive?"

The mother sighed and reached around his immense shoulders to check his breathing by the small rise and fall of his chest. She exhaled with relief, but replied somewhat agitated, "Yes, But barely. I doubt he'll make the night. Gorth, be a dear and get your father."

The little cub nodded and ran off into the settling storm to do as he was told. If not for her confidence in her skills as a parent, she would be afraid her son would face the same fate that this poor soul before her had. But she knew that her hardly-more-than-a-toddler son was more than capable of navigating his way back to their not so distant camp.

Within a few minutes, mother and daughter heard a slight creaking sound, that signified that Gorth had indeed, completed his task. The sight of the child emerged from the storm, hurrying back into his mother's grasp to receive his praise. Following slightly behind was a slight male panther, he too showing less than subtle signs of aging. He pulled along with him a small wooden cart, which the father had forgone their supplies to bring it to the aid of Nangoroth.

The father sighed in echo of his wife and muttered, "Again?"

Gorth giggled slightly in his mother's grasp, at which she harshly smacked the back of his head. His lip quivered slightly and his mother groaned and growled, "Don't you dare!"

He nodded, shaking, but didn't do anything further.

"Mother, father, what are we going to do with this one?"

The two sighed at their daughter's inquiry and the male looked at his wife questioningly and she shook her head and shrugged, "I say we dump him as soon as soon as possible, right Coel?"

He sighed and nodded, "I'm just getting sick of doing this..."

The daughter looked at the body again and examined him from every angle possible. A small smile crept upon her lips as she giggled, "He's kind of cute. I say we keep him! You are trying to find me a partner, aren't you mother?"

A snarl emanated from Coel's maw but his wife disregarded the question, at which their daughter continued quietly, "I'm too old as it is..."

Her mother rolled her eyes at that and retorted, "You reject every suitor I find you. And you know how hard it is to find a good one, with us always moving around!"

Coel's eyes twitched as he growled, "Don't put this on me, Diena, you agreed that being a nomadic family would be a good idea!"

The daughter sighed and muttered, "Well, maybe you should have asked everyone in the family, first!"

Diena sighed in turn and replied, "Now Kaatja, you know you were hardly more than Gorth's age at the time."

Kaatja pouted and turned away from the group as she muttered, "Well, then I guess that justifies everything I had to leave behind..."

The parents sighed and collectively rolled their eyes at their stubborn daughter.

"My... my friends, my home, and my life!"

Kaatja pulled her cloak around her further and shivered in the renewed snowfall.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aveline began to involuntarily shiver in her tightly wrapped blanket. The warm embrace slowly fading as her father's life force quickly deteriorating to nothing. Already being unconscious and close to the brink of death meant that the same wasn't far behind for Aveline once his body completely gave way to the freezing cold. His soft embrace nothing to the harsh elements of life.

Aveline opened her shimmering blue-grey eyes only to see darkness beneath her father's immense arms. She wouldn't cry; she couldn't, but she did release a small coo as she pressed her tiny paws against her father's immense bulk.

Thankfully for her, the distraught Kaatja, who was turned away from her family to brood her parent's seeming injustice, heard the tiny pleas for help.

"Oh my... oh my gosh! I think there's a little baby under there!"

Coel sighed and gathered himself to his feet and trudged over to his daughter dancing on the spot, gesturing frantically at Nangoroth. He heaved another sigh as he knelt down beside the body to listen.

Aveline, as if sensing a presence, one that was aware of her, released another slight coo.

Coel's eyes widened as he quickly sat down in the tightly packed snow beside Nangoroth and laid his back against the immense mass of muscles and bulk and heaved with all of his might. The body barely budged, but only proceeded to compact the room containing Aveline even further around her. She squealed in confusion, which only fueled Kaatja's frantic screams even louder. Coel's face swelled as he held his breath from the intense exertion.

Finally, the elderly panther's efforts were enough for Gorth to spring into action from within his mother's arms and scamper over to the tiny gap his father had made between the body and the snow, and snatch the newborn cub from within her father's loving embrace.

Diena jumped up after her son and hurried over to help Coel up from his exerting action. Kaatja calmed herself enough to stumble over to her brother and snatch Aveline from his loose grasp. She stared down at the beautiful baby's little features and felt a motherly smile creep across her face. She felt attached to the little bundle of joy already.

Kaatja reached her paw into the little child's face, and the cub grasped her seemingly massive paw with her own. She cooed again with a small smile, her eyes closed again as she fell asleep from the harrowing events that took place only recently. Her little baby instincts disregarding the incident as more than an inconvenience from sleeping. Now, she was nestled warmly in some strange woman's bosom, and it didn't faze her in the slightest.

* * *

_Its dark. And cold. I can't see anything. What's going on here? I hear voices, but I can't discern what they're saying. Its driving me crazy! Am I alive, or dead? And for goodness sake, where is my dear, little Aveline? _

As if to answer the question, a small murmur emitted from his daughter prompted Nangorth's subconscious to kick into gear and begin the long and demanding process of bringing the panther's depleted body back from the brink of death. Every little sleeping sound the little cub made was one step away from the black edge that was death for her beloved father.

Finally, whatever gods that were watching over Nangoroth granted him enough strength to flicker his eyes open weakly to see, what seemed to be Kvaedhi standing and lovingly holding his little Aveline in her soft paws with a motherly smile spread across her unbearably beautiful face.

Gorth stopped teasing his sister for a moment to see that 'the body' was awake. He gasped and gasped in fear and gestured wordlessly at Nangoroth suddenly yet slightly moving on the dense snow covered ground.

Coel groaned and kneeled in front of Nangoroth's hardly seeing eyes and patted him on the shoulder as he regretfully muttered, "Everything is going to be fine, buddy. Hang in there."

He stood up and rolled his eyes, thinking of all the times they had encountered something similar in their now two decades of travelling this land.

"Alright, let's get this poor guy back to camp for some food and warmth."

Diena's family collectively nodded at her suggestion, and moved to action. Kaatja merely stood and watched as Coel and Diena picked Nangoroth's immense body up and strenuously placed it on the small fruit cart that Gorth was holding still.

Gorth jumped up onto the cart onto Nangoroth's stomach, and was promptly shooed away by his father as he took up pulling the cart behind him as he couldn't get the thin wooden wheels to turn by pushing the cart.

"By the looks of him, he'll be out of it for a while. We're still going to do this?"

Diena glared at her husband and asserted, "Yes, we are! He is clearly alive, Coel."

Kaatja shook her head in disgust then smiled to herself at her parent's petty argument, and smirked at her passer by mother who glared at her and then down at the child in her arms. "Yeah, you have fun with that... _thing, _honey."

Kaatja paled and stuttered after her mother, "W-wait, aren't you going to h-help? I-I don't know what I'm doing!"

Diena yelled without turning back, "Neither did I, and look how you turned out!"

Kaatja scowled and glanced down at the little newborn cub in her arms and muttered, "That's just great..."


	4. The Nomad

The Nomad

The snow ceased to a stop as the family came to their destination that was their current camp. Nothing was heard but the subtle breaths of their new, over-sized guest, and his daughter's accompanying cooing.

_Ilrith unumn sith ri..._

Suddenly, little Aveline's ears perked up as she awoke from her slumber within the warm folds of Kaatja's arms, and displaced her thumb from her mouth as she looked around for the source of the ghostly voice that permeated her fuzzy little ears. Nobody else took notice to the seemingly divine voice.

However, deep within Nangoroth's broken and wasted body, his mind was thrust into motion. He recognized the words;

_It's not your time, yet..._

The procession had just shuddered to a stop as they reached their camp; the fire sizzled beneath a large oak, down to a small flame, no longer warming the moderately sized tent next to the pile of haphazardly placed objects necessary for the nomadic family to survive in the horrid weathers they faced. Coel sighed and released the cart roughly, and Nangoroth's bulky form slid down slowly from the planks and onto the wet, hard ground.

Gorth pulled himself from his mother's grasp and stood over the hulking panther's head in curiosity. Nangoroth had accrued a wide variety of wounds in his long travels. His face adorned a newly acquired cut across his cheek to his right eye, and a long gash from below his left ear ran all the way down to the middle of his neck. Gorth looked curiously at the two, but there was nothing to be done for them now. They had healed into lifelong scars of the long days and nights of the pure terror and fright that he'd gone through to secure his newborn child's safe passage into life. Those among other things, would never heal...

Diena's lips twitched in a throaty growl as she grasped her young boy's arm and thrust him away from the dangerous, sleeping panther. She scolded him harshly, of which he was used to. He seemed to be a constant annoyance to his mother, though he didn't really intend it. He was just a normal rambunctious young boy, interested in everything and anything, with seemingly endless reserves of unbridled energy.

It seemed that after Kaatja, the two elders were content with living their lives alone. Of course, when came the time for Kaatja were to leave them to find her own home and live her own life, she refused. Coel was relieved with the decision, yet Diena was frustrated; she knew her daughter's adventurous nature, so she didn't understand why Kaatja chose to stay with her nearly elderly parents. Diena became especially angry when Coel began to cater to Kaatja's every wish and whim in order for her to maintain her choice; he didn't want to lose his precious daughter to some "loveless prick", as he put it. He feared she was too naive and vulnerable to someone, who merely was after her "dashing good looks", as he accredited himself for. Diena never seemed to deny such, which lead him to believe it was true. In all honesty however, its quite odd the two could produce a child like Kaatja. Her parents, while quite intelligent, were horribly dull. Their dry sense of humor lead to more than a few awkward conversations when Kaatja was younger, and certain subjects came up. This lead to Kaatja asking where babies come from when she was twenty-one, because of her mother's rapidly growing belly; Gorth. Still, Kaatja was a very smart woman, regardless of her parent's negligence to properly groom and culminate her into their ideal. It was because of this, that Kaatja decided to forgo the route of annoying older sister, and become the loving maternal figure that Gorth would need to become the grand young man he was sure to be. Kaatja knew that Gorth didn't see her as such, but it was surely because she was sure not to overstep her welcome in raising her baby brother. Coel and Diena were nothing if not oblivious to the whole situation; Kaatja was cunning enough to see to that. It wasn't necessarily that she didn't want to offend her parents, it was that she didn't want to cross a line that was unknown to her; especially regarding her quick-tempered mother. That temper, was truly the stem of a whole lot of problems in the family. It made Coel into a passive, unassertive person, incapable of important confrontations. It conditioned Kaatja into the quiet, wary and pensive young woman she was. And yet Gorth still had to learn not to cross his mother, though that lesson was sure to come soon enough. Regardless, Gorth was still as wild a four year old could be; that mere fact the reminding factor to his parents of their negligence to refrain from any "frivolous procreating", as Coel had so blatantly put it down as. Diena was surprisingly reluctant to the idea, but agreed to the idea of not having any more children once Kaatja was twenty. Yet, hardly more than a year later than that mark, Diena was pregnant. Considering the two weren't exactly all too youthful anymore, they had already ruled out the possibility, due to the biology of it. Diena was sure Coel wasn't up for it, and comparatively, Coel thought that Diena wasn't capable of bearing at her age. So when Diena's belly began to grow, and exponentially too, they marked it down as the odd food they had been eating the previous few weeks on their trip through a large province in Northern China, whose inhabitants were horribly secluded and primitive. Yet, the weeks went by and they had to accept the truth that they had failed to abstain. When Kaatja noticed and brought it to her parent's attention, they sat her down and explained what was happening, hence the awkward question of where Gorth, as well as all other children come from. They also had to explain to their confused adult daughter what they were really doing when she was told to go off and pick berries when she was younger. Coel and Diena developed it into a secret signal whenever either of the were feeling the need. Needless to say, Kaatja was disgusted, and that the aging couple hadn't used it in a long while. Having had that discussion, Kaatja wondered what other necessary knowledge she was missing due to her parent's incompetence to properly bestow such an imperative step of adulthood. Until this point, she never understood the advances that the men of the villages they passed through would make on her. Some were not exactly the most appropriate or flattering, yet she didn't know any better, their mere contact confused her. Now, she was embarrassed and extremely self conscious whenever approached by any possible suitor. Like her mother said, she rejected all that came her way, in favor of being safe and comfortable in the world she knew before the vile and disgusting nature of men was thrust upon her long overdue. Kaatja wasn't sure where she belonged; a constant conflict brewed around in her mind. All that mattered to her right now, was her family: Her little brother, and her parents. And now, this new little cub she was holding tightly in her arms...

Kaatja stared down at the tiny panther she clutched so tightly, so motherly in her arms; it felt almost natural. Kaatja smiled down at the girl as it let out a small sigh in content, or confusion; she couldn't decipher which. A nervous warmth crept up her spine as she stared into the little panther's sweet blue eyes. Something, that scared her, yet made her feel alive. She had this life in her arms, completely dependent and helpless. She was the newborn child's only hope of survival...


	5. Fate's Warning

Fate's Warning

Kaatja smiled dreamily at the newborn child in her luscious grasp. Despite her blatant dislike of the idea of marriage, she had always wanted to be a mother. The idea was so warm in her chest, she felt her heart might burst from lack of releasing motherly love.

Her parents were always against the idea, of course due to the fact of Kaatja's reluctance for any kind of romantic engagement.

"Your father and I are not raising your bastard child, girl! We've got enough on our hands with Gorth as it is."

A chorus of indignant cries would usually follow Diena's statements.

With a grateful sigh, Kaatja glanced down at the squirming little girl in her slight arms. A soft smile graced her lips as Kaatja muttered, "The poor thing must be starving!"

Her kind expression melted as she realized, "And what else do cute... newborn little panthers eat other than...?"

A deep blush immediately consumed her accented cheeks.

"Mother!"

_She had only stopped feeding Gorth a few... years ago? The little weirdo..._

The flap of a tent was drawn across the fire, and Diena's cross face appeared, highly agitated as if she knew of her daughter's predicament. Kaatja edged her way around the fire, and kneeled before her elderly mother.

"Mother, she's hungry."

A knowing smirk grew on Diena's face.

"No."

Kaatja was taken aback and stuttered quickly, "B-but mother! She'll starve!"

Diena blinked expressionlessly as she replied, "I had said that the little one is yours to take care of, didn't I? Either you do it, or figure something else out. Whether you do it or not, her life's in your paws."

Diena withdrew her head and with a sigh through the flap, whispered, "Besides, how do you even know its a 'she'?"

The question caught Kaatja off guard. After a few thoughtful blinks, she whispered back dreamily, with a slight glance at the child, "I-I don't know. I just assumed only a girl could have those beautiful blue grey eyes of hers!"

A groan emanated through the tent before Diena hissed quietly, "That was a rhetorical question! Now go away, you father and I have things to do."

Kaatja rolled her eyes subconsciously at her mother's frivolity and looked down at the little baby in her arms, curiosity spreading across her tired mind. With a nimble finger, she gently removed the blanket surrounding the little child's form. A quick glance told her all she needed to know.

"My little girl..."

She made quick work of re-wrapping the blanket to guard the little fragile life from the element.

"How about some food now?"

Kaatja tapped the child on the nose slightly, and giggled gleefully. The girl didn't make the slightest inclination that she noticed. Kaatja looked around for anything at the camp that was appropriate for the little newborn panther to eat. A quick meandering walk around the camp came up inconclusive, for all they had to eat was rice and vegetables. Surely nothing for a newborn child, right? Disappointed, Kaatja took a deep breath and considered just... whipping one out just to try it, if not only to pacify the little girl with something. Kaatja had to suppress the urge to laugh at the way she had worded the thought, but just shook her head in dismay when she decided against the action.

A short sigh later she figured it was time for bed, and made her way to the tent that she shared with Gorth. The matter, of course, making its way into many family discussions.

Coel would always growl at its mention, "And which one of you wants to carry the extra weight? Nobody? Okay, then I don't want it brought up again."

He would then turn around and plug his ears as Diena added to Kaatja, "Unless you've got someone special to bring home, dear."

Kaatja then snorted and added the obligatory, "What home?" at which Gorth would snicker until finally it all ended with a smack to the head to them both from their mother, and a tug of her tail by Coel. Just about every family discussion ever left only Coel unscarred by some means. Kaatja's disregard for her mother and Gorth's adamantly inappropriate behavior would usually leave the two of them with a paw mark across their faces that strikingly resembled their mothers open fist.

Kaatja unconsciously stroked her cheek where the most recent mark was lovingly placed. A sigh escaped her lips as she grinned down to her new little girl comfortingly. She had to remind herself that the newborn wasn't hers, but that the child's father was lying mere feet away from her in the tent.

Gathering herself together, Kaatja slid into the tent and closed the flap behind her to obscure the fire's dimming light from entering and waking her brother. The last thing she needed at this point was an argument that would surely turn into a fight with him. Things like that happened quite often, even despite their great age difference. The little 'accident' would find offense when the word was used, even though his mother used it right in front of him on multiple occasions. For some reason, it stung him harder when his sister used it. Other than their differences, they loved each other, and Kaatja did her best to have him turn out as 'awesome' as she could.

Thoughts set aside, Kaatja sat herself down on her bedroll and looked around. Gorth was sleeping peacefully, which was quite an oddity. The rambunctious boy would usually fight against going to sleep, but apparently today's travel was more than sufficient in tiring the poor little fellow enough to slumber without issue.

A second glance around, and her gaze reluctantly rested upon the massive panther at the edge of the tent, still unconscious, or almost dead for all she knew. Closer inspection, and Kaatja noticed that his mouth was moving quickly, expressions forming then fading across his face. That, at least confirmed of the life that was fired up within him, though that in itself scared her. Kaatja stared at the panther's face, and the longer she gazed upon his body, the more she felt as if she had some kind of connection. She couldn't justify it to herself, but perhaps it was nothing more than physical attraction. Her cheeks blushed at the thought, for he was admittedly very good looking in her perspective, even with his demented expressions.

Kaatja hesitantly retracted her attention from the man, and looked down at the little girl in her arms. A sad thought pushed its way into her tired and confused mind, that if the man was her father, then she would have to part with the little one at some point, sooner or later. Sadness crept into her mind, but she tried to justify it to herself. She had only know the little girl for mere hours, why was she so attached? Perhaps it was something that was out of her control, but maybe it was just the mere fact that she always wanted a child of her own. Wasn't Gorth enough to fill that spot? Or did she want a real child, that was truly her own?

Kaatja decided on the first option of choice, and sprawled herself out on her bedroll trying her best not to look at the hulking figure near the edge of the small space near her feet. She rested her little bundle down beside her and wrapped her available arm around the child's vulnerable head, then closed her eyes for the night.

"Sweet dreams, little one."


	6. Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows

_Sweet dreams, little one. _

The deliciously spoken words resonated within Nangoroth's delirious mind, almost like a song, bringing light to his nearly dormant psychological aspects. Nangoroth felt his strength grow, memories return, and the knowledge – true, false or both – that his love was close, along with his lovely little Aveline; his perfect little girl.

_Oh Kvaedhi, how I long to see you again. You're here with me, I feel it. Let us be a family, forget the past, all that matters is how much I love you..._

The words automatically translated themselves into the ancient language that he had only known through Kvaedhi. The results of such had just two consequences, though he wasn't aware of such. At that point, Nangoroth wasn't sure of anything. He was only just regaining his mind along with his life, and his consciousness had yet to return. The action of such by the means he had chosen, though unconsciously so, were surely to test his strength and will. Only those of Kvaedhi's heritage were sure to prevail, and Nangoroth was not so lucky as to be. The only thing he was consciously aware of was his little Aveline's faint heartbeat. If he did not accept his fate, and fast, then she herself would surely be put in the same place as he. And though she shared her mother's blood, therefore only half of the inheritance. Especially as a newborn, she didn't stand a chance, and Nangoroth knew it was so.

A mental sigh later, he braced himself for the daunting task of being brought back from the brink of death.

"_Nangoroth of Aalgmaith, you stand before those of the Panceris in judgement for your actions regarding those of the last of our Order. You've seen into our lives; our minds. Though, you were not one of us. That in itself is reason for us to adjourn this hearing at this moment. However, it is a right of yours to state a case for these actions. The one you seek is here; the very last one of us. You know who we speak of, therefore it is not necessary for their presence in your hearing. Let's begin." _

Despite the odds being stacked against him, Nangoroth knew he must continue, if only to see a glimpse of his beloved wife one last time. That was to be his reward, if he overcame. He knew of this, even though it wasn't said.

"_You're here under perjury for the infiltration and decimation of the last of our Order. Their blood spilled by your own means, with exception of the final Panceri. For her, you shall have an even harsher punishment if you fail to account for your actions. Next, the taking of an ancient imbued name without having been blessed with such, takes the offenses to three. Finally, the birth of a bastard child, not by marriage, but by heritage. The child shall fall as well, if you cannot account for your actions."_

Nangoroth's blood turned cold at the last offense. Why should such an innocent little child pay for her parent's actions, that were performed with the best will in mind for their family?

"_Do you understand these faults against you?"_

"_I do."_

"_Now is the time to address the first offense. By the sanctity of our standards, it is by far the worst offense you could make. The very reason we are here now, otherwise this would not be possible. Your infiltration of our Collective Mind. You have used our abilities for your own selfish means, and for the murder of Heidrin, son of Kaldresn and Yerdrid II. You also contorted and turned Kvaedhi, daughter of Heidrin and Yerdrid II. You may now put forth your statement in regards to those just addressed."_

Nangoroth braced himself, whatever parts of his mind that he could, and prepared the response that he had planned for years, all when it began.

"_First off, I would like to say that I didn't have any choice in the matter of the death of Heidrin. I only did so by the wish of Kvaedhi. I-I... I love her, and I didn't want her to have to marry her own father, do you not see anything wrong with that scenario? I have heard the excuse a million times that it is order to preserve your kind, but must it come to that? Kvaedhi hardly knew her mother, who was consequently also her grandmother. That made her automatically set to be wed to her own father, at such a young age. I don't know everything about your kind, but where I'm from, that's not acceptable. Again, I know that your kind had been worn far and thin between, but isn't there some other way? Not to jump ahead, but look at the perfect little daughter that Kvaedhi made, without any aid. Why can't _she _be the savior of your kind? The one that the Panceris need... the one that they deserve. She can keep your blood flowing!"_

"_We wouldn't _dare _have filth like that spreading its... disease."_

"_Why must it be pure? She has the blood of her mother, isn't that enough?"_

"_Her pale mind cannot even begin to fathom the power she may hold. Even then, if she does hold some part of us in her, her offspring would only be a measly part Panceri, spreading our power much too thin. There could be consequences. If the child were to live on, there's nothing to stop such things happening to herself." _

"_Why... why can't you _know_? You claim to know _everything..._ perhaps its time to believe. To trust in fate. If you are not able to foresee such things as this, then what gives you the right to judge? Mustn't you be all knowing to know of the things I've done? Despite my shortcomings in your eyes, I've done things that I had to for my family. For yours. Whether you see my daughter as such, she is one of you. There is nothing to be done about that."_

"_No... there most certainly is."_

"_I don't dare let that happen. Is my argument not sufficient? Perhaps we ought to hear from the One. The Last One."_

"_That... is not an option."_

"_Why is that? You're scared of the truth? I know she is here, I can feel her! ...Kvaedhi, please, come out..."_

The weak presence of his love within his mind imbued Nangoroth's fight, allowing his statements to carry such weight that even the Overseer was beginning to falter.

"_She cannot. She has been barred from our Order. Such action has banned her bastard daughter as well. No contact will be made otherwise, this session is over."_

The presence receded from Nangoroth's mind, leaving the ancient words to rebound within his thoughts. He waited unconsciously for the words he prayed were to be uttered.

"_You, Allecks Brysin of the mortal tribe. Your sentence shall be short. We find you in contempt of the sacred name of Nangoroth. Any and all contact with the Collective Mind shall be deceased."_

Nangoroth stayed clenched tightly withing the confines of his head, unable to do a thing but wait for anything further to be said. His daughter's life still hung in the balance, as well as his own. The sentence wasn't all too bad at this point, but if it wasn't over, then they were surely not going to be in good shape. With the statement said, Nangoroth felt his mind fade, and began to become unsure of the proceedings. Surely the Order would tell him if he had further sentencing? What if this was the end? Nangoroth began to feel his heart race as several memories started to fade from his already weakened mind, and the entire knowledge of his name passed away before his very eyes.

"_Teach her well."_

Suddenly and unexpectedly, Allecks Brysin awoke with a harsh gasp, and a hacking cough that could easily wake anybody near enough to hear. He flung his eyes open wide, and gazed around at his darkened surroundings in order to confirm that he was, in fact, still alive and had survived his mental ordeal.

He was. The terribly dim light of the night that permeated the tent he inhabited was only enough to tell him it was so. The very first thing he did when he was sure, was look around for his beloved Aveline. She was his whole life now, and the entirety of a people rested on her tiny little shoulders.

The little bundle was nowhere to be seen in his view. The only thing the light brought was the slim silhouettes of a petite woman, and an even smaller child, though not Aveline. Allecks began to panic, and clawed his way to his painfully weathered and weakened legs, bracing himself on the side of the tent, accidentally ripping a whole in the fabric when he slipped and fell back to his paws. He huffed tiredly, and closed his eyes shut, just hoping that his daughter was near. If he lost her now, after all he'd been through... after all Kvaedhi had gone through, he would surely go mad. Still gathering his strength, Allecks pulled himself along the floor towards the woman. A ghastly shadow had been cast over her face, and it had subconsciously drawn his attention towards her. Still lying on his stomach, he used the last reserves of his impressive might to drag himself onto the woman, in order to catch his breath. She didn't seem to mind, and instead released a small, stifled giggle in her sleep. With a grunt, he extended his wobbly limbs and braced himself over the woman. His eyes widened as the moonlight cast a shadow through the trees outside, and onto the lovely bundle that laid tightly in her grasp on her chest.

"A-Aveline?"

The little child opened her beautiful blue-gray eyes to her father and smiled toothily. She unwrapped her arms from the blanket constricting her and reached upward at her father's face, knowing just who he was, and somehow knowing what he had just been through for her.

"Da-da!"

Alleck's eyes glistened with a mixture of elation, confusion and sadness. He wiped away a single tear, one that he knew fell for Kvaedhi. One would only assume the scene would be something a mother would want to watch. A father reunited with his beloved daughter, their life just in the balance, and their success still hanging in the air ominously.

Allecks gently plucked her from the blanket and clutched her softly in his arms against his chest as the tears continued to fall from his dull brown eyes. He began to sob at the slight touch of his newborn daughter, who wrapped her arms as far as they would around her father's broad torso in a loving hug, trying to comfort him. He knew all would be well now.

Wiping aside a sniffle, Allecks finally opened his eyes and stared down with endless love at the little face that looked back so innocently and so pure. With a small smile of comfort to the little one, he sighed and caressed her in the crook of his elbow, rocking her back and forth until she went asleep. He didn't remove his gaze until the beautiful child of his was finally back in a peaceful slumber. With a sigh, he looked away, his thoughts returning to his love. All of this was for her... for her people. Allecks loved her so much, that he would go through the trouble he had throughout his life for her. Her beauty... of heart and mind. There was none other to match it.

A solemn sigh brought Allecks back to reality, and he finally relaxed his body. It still ached and burned from the weeks of physical torture he had endured, but he was slowly recovering. A small glance past his sleeping little angel brought him to a start.

It appeared to a delusional Allecks as if Kvaedhi were the one in the bed, lying fast asleep. Tears accumulated again in his eyes as he tilted his head forward and muttered a thanks to those who could have made this possible. Perhaps this was his reward for his hard work all those years. His family would be whole...

With a shiver and a sigh, a delusional, emotional Allecks lowered his worn body to the floor and slid in beside the sleeping woman, a protective arm around his daughter. All seemed right in the world.


End file.
